Herman Sourdough (Secret) Starter

1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 cups dairy buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar

Soften yeast in water with sugar. Stir once or twice. 
Let stand 5 minutes or until doubled in volume. 
(If it doesn't double and bubble, the yeast is no good. 
Throw it out and start over with a fresh pack.)

Beat remaining 3 ingredients together until smooth and 
beat in the bubbly yeast mixture at end of the 5 minutes. 
Pour into non-metallic 8-cup container with a loose fitting 
lid. Let stand in warm place 6 hours. As it bubbles up, 
stir it down (after the 2nd or 3rd hour - so don't be impatient!) 
Then it's ready to use. 

Say hello to Herman! Just remember to keep Herman out of drafts. 
Set him in a sunny spot-once in a while. He delights in this! 
He'll bubble up with excitement if the sun's shining on him a while!

Replacement Recipe
Every time you remove a cup of Herman, 
you must replace him at once with a simple mixture of:

1 cup water
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar

Beat it smooth and stir it into the mixture from which you removed 
the cupful for baking purposes. The above 3-cup mixture makes 1 
cup of starter-batter exactly, so if you remove TWO cups of the 
starter, double the replacement ingredients. Always leave at least 
one cup of the starter at all times with which to begin your next 
batch of Herman

If you'd like your Herman to be just a little less sweet, I've found you 
can replenish with 1 cup water, 1 cup flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. 

You may leave Herman on your countertop. If you do, stir him every 
other day, and replenish at least every three to five days. If you'd like 
 to keep him cool, to slow him a little, keep him in your refrigerator, 
replenishing him every week to 10 days (or so). Some people only
replenish Herman as they use him, others do it by a schedule. I've 
found sourdough is almost impossible to kill, unless subjected to 
too much heat or if you've added salt to it. Salt and baking soda, 
should only be added to the dry ingredients, then stirred to blend, 
before adding to liquid. Metal should never be used in mixing, 
stirring or storing. The best storage jars are glass, much larger 
than needed (so there's room for the gasses). Jars with clamping 
lids seem to be best. When Herman is setting on your countertop, 
leave the lid open, cover with cheesecloth or towel, so Herman can 
absorb natural yeast from the air. 



Return To Recipes